Santa Cruz County Shortens COVID-19 Quarantine Time

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA — Santa Cruz County health officials will update their coronavirus quarantine guidance to recommend that people who test positive for COVID-19 should remain in isolation and quarantine for five days, down from 10 days.

The new guidelines apply to those who experience no symptoms or improve and have tested negative on the fifth day of isolation or afterward, the county said. People who continue to have a fever on day five of isolation should continue to isolate until day 10 or whenever their symptoms resolve.

The move will bring the county's Public Health Department gudiance into alignment with guidance from the California Department of Public Health.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention first announced Dec. 27 that it was halving its recommended 10-day quarantine period. California took things a step further and called on residents to verify that they were no longer sick by taking a test.

The county guidance also said that people who were exposed to COVID-19 and were unvaccinated or had not received a booster shot may quarantine for five days, instead of 10 days, if they have no symptoms and tested negative on day five or later.

Those who ended quarantine early should continue to wear a tight-fitting mask for 10 days, the county said.

Quarantining after exposure to COVID-19 was not necessary if a person was fully vaccinated and boosted or if she was not eligible for a booster, the county said.

People who cannot take a test should quarantine until day 10, even if they don't experience symptoms, the county said.

This article originally appeared on the Santa Cruz Patch